The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-30
4 SALAClvUS SCANDAL.
A PREACHER ELOPES WITH
SERVANT GIRL.
She Dies Mysterisusly and Is Be-
lieved to Have Been Pol
soned by Him.

ST. LOUIS, NO., July 23.-On July "a
q man calling himself Thomas Abbott,
with his wife Annie, several years his
junior, q bright and handsome blonde,
came to this city and took cheap lodg-
iDgs. They were very poor and said
they came from Canada. Abbott was
q small, thin, clerical looking man and
claimed to be authorized 10 preach,
and was very piously inclined In acts
and manners. He was silver plster
by trade as we'll as preach or. and OBJ
tanned work at the silverwsre estab,
lishment Of NJ. d Dsgge. Heseemed to
be very fond Of his wife and was very
attentive to her.. A few days later his
wife was taken very Ill with what her
physician called c0olera morbus. Ga
the night Of July 18th she died and
next day was buried, the certificate OF
death being regular and nothing tad
occurred to arouse suspicion that any.
thing was wrong. The next day Ab.
bott went to Mr.. Degge's shop, sppsr'
emily In great distress ard very much
depressed by grief at the loss OF his
wife. He wrote several letters and vent
out to mail III EN-, aud that was the last
Mr.. Dcege saw Of him. BY the 4 O'Clock
mail that sf ernoon, however, Mr..
Dsgge received letter from Abbott,
enclosing another which purported 10
have been written by Mrs. Abbott, in
which she said she felt that she was
burden to him, that she had caused
him great trouble, and that she had
taken arsenic with suicidal intent.
Abbott's letter referred to the one Of
his wills, bemoansd her tad fate, pro-
ies ed great love 4 her, ssid nothing
would console him but reunion with
her, and tha, his body would be found
in the river. Mr.. Deggs discovered o
marked similarity between the writing
Of Mrs. Abbott's letter and q part Of
that OF Abbotts, and bis suspicious
were arou.ed. He consulted the po-
lice, but was told there was nothing
particular in the case, aud tue coroner
could do nothing without further in.
formation, and so the matter rested.
Yesterday q package Of arsenic was
found In DeRge's shop, which had be IN
purchased by Abbott when he was
employed there. They do not use
arsenic In the shop, and additional
suspicion was excited. Today two
disp atches were received by the chief
Of police from Ohtstertoo, Porter
county, Indiana, ssking for foil de-
echption Of Abbott and hi.
wife, and stating thst II was thought
Abbott was the Rev. DR.. West,
Of tina. place. who eloped with q girl
a few months ago. A description was
sent, and tonight response was 70
oeivsd that II fitted Dr. West exactly.
II has since been learned that Alb
bolts right name 10 William Thomas
Abbott West; that he 10 Q Method 9,
preacher In charge OF q church at
Chesterton, Ind. and has q vile and
six children. The dead girls name
was Susie Beck. She was nurse Ia
Vests family last February, whsn
Mrs. Wet was SICK, and subsequently
she and M West became not only
intimate, bot Il Ia said their inter
| couiss became a scandal. Sometime
In May last West came to Chicsgc
ostensibly for medical treatment. The
girl slso vent there. and they. are ea'd
TO have remained In that city until
June 2sth, when they came here
Wet, II appears, when he left here on
the 18Th init ant, went directly home
but the death Of Mrs. Abbott In thil
city became common talk. Teen hs
left again IN two days, and has mo-
been heard OF stree II has further
developed tia, West lived In Kenki
kee, Ill. before he moved TO Chester
ton, aud that he was preacher Their,
In good standing. Prior TO tina
he lived In South Bend, Ind. wher'
he was employed In sudebakerl
wagon factory. The body OF the Btcl
Rirl was sxhumed by the coroner THU
afternoon, aud 10 nov at the moreue
A poet norton will he held tomorrow
10 se,ermine WHISTLER she was poiao y
cd, but even though arsenic shou d b.
found In her 9 onsach Il will be Diff
OMIT 10 decide whether she took II vol
unfairly, or whether II was admins
tered by West Dr. Albin, the physl
clan who attended her when eick, cay
be discovered no poison symptoms
rhe case Ia q very mysterious one, al,
will be Investigated thoroughly.
AN ABoRrIos PR1BABLK.
Ldter. young womap, Mrs. WIN
Thomas Abbott, who vas thought &
lave bsen poisoned bv her husband
has been identified by John q. O1ul
ter, ~ Susan Beck, Of Chestertop
Iod., daughter OF Geo. q. Beck. 4
post murts m examination Of the bod,
10 now being made. The ply stefan
In charge report that they have foun,
toe'us OF three months Of age, an
supp sed evldsncts OF an sttemp,e
abortion. Nothing has ye, bee
learned Of the whereabouts Of Abbot
West, who was last seen with her, an
. who, u 10 reported, deserted / 10 pulp
. | and hie vile NJ Chesterton 10 elop